By Stella Odueme
Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Petroleum Resources, Amb. Nicholas Agbo Ella has reiterated the resolve of the Federal Government to reposition and restore the civil service to its glory days.
Amb Ella stated this at a ceremony in honour of staff of the Ministry who retired in year 2023 and some serving officers whose performances were outstanding within the same calendar year.
In his address at the occasion on Tuesday, the Permanent Secretary noted that “You may have observed that the Government is putting in place a number of reforms aimed at returning the civil service to its glory days when civil servants were proud of their jobs and were also the envy of all”
He posited that, one of such reforms is the rewards and recognition initiative, which mandates Ministries, Departments and Agencies of Government (MDAs) to appreciate the hard work and dedication to duties exhibited by retired officers while in service.
The Permanent Secretary added that it also serves as a platform to identify and give special recognition to those officers that are still in active service with outstanding performances, and that such gestures would be embedded in the minds of the retirees for ages and also serve as a motivation for serving Officers.
He described the Civil Service as the engine of national development, stressing that, no amount of resources committed in the welfare of staff and human capital development would be commensurate with their efforts and sacrifices.
While stressing the Ministry’s commitment to providing the enabling environment for excellence to thrive, Amb. Ella implored civil servants to uphold the core values of integrity, honesty and patriotism.
“We will be fondly remembered more by the legacies we leave behind than any personal gains acquired.”
In her address at the occasion, Director, Human Resources Management (HRM), Mrs. Asma’u Shehu Adaji stated that the ministry had an established and indeed sustained culture of recognizing the contributions and sacrifices made by officers towards achieving its mandate, goals and objectives.
This, she said, is also in line with Government’s policy of reward and recognition for individual efforts as being championed by the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of Federation.
“A day like this is usually an opportunity for stock-taking, both for retiring and serving officers. Out of over 200 million Nigerians, we are privileged to have been given the opportunity to serve this country in the Civil Service where we play vital roles in advising government on critical nation decisions” Adaji stated.
She noted that, it was in keeping with government policy on reward and recognition that the Ministry also wanted to use the opportunity to honour some officers who distinguished themselves with outstanding performance during the 2023 calendar year.
These officers, she noted, were selected after a competitive selection process using a set of criteria provided by the OHCSF, adding that, it is expected that the awardees would see this gesture as a motivation for excellence and would remain a shining example for others to emulate.
Speaking on behalf of the retirees, retired Director in the Midstream Department, Engr. Felix Okeke thanked the management of the ministry for recognizing their efforts in the course of their service years and their contributions towards the growth of the ministry.
On his part, Dr. Kingsley Uranta who spoke on behalf of other awardees, said the gesture would spur them to be more diligent and committed to their duties.
The highlight of the ceremony was the presentation of plaques and gift items to the retirees and awardees.
